Pony.ai and Uber Expand Partnership to Deploy Over 2,000 Robotaxis in Europe
Pony.ai and Uber will deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across four additional European cities and the Middle East, expanding a partnership that began in Zagreb.
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What Happened
Pony.ai and Uber plan to deploy more than 2,000 Pony.ai robotaxis across Europe, expanding a partnership that already includes a commercial service in Zagreb. The service will expand to four additional European cities and eventually the Middle East, with additional rollout details announced in phases. The existing Zagreb service is coming soon to the Uber platform.
Pony.ai and Uber first announce plans to bring Pony.ai robotaxis onto the Uber platform in international markets.
The companies work with Croatian mobility company Verne to launch Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, with Verne as local fleet owner and operator.
Pony.ai and Uber announce the expanded partnership to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe.
The expanded agreement gives Pony.ai's joint-deployment model a clearer path to commercial scale. The model combines Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving technology, a leading mobility platform, and day-to-day fleet operations, and allows partners to take on multiple roles. Vehicle funding and ownership can sit with different partners depending on the market. Under the partnership, Pony.ai provides its L4 technology, rider-experience, and operational expertise, while Uber provides customer access through its global mobility platform, including booking, payment, and customer-service capabilities.
Pony.ai operates paid, fully driverless robotaxi services in China's four tier-one cities, where it has achieved city-wide breakeven unit economics in multiple markets. This validates its commercially sustainable model for operating robotaxis at scale. The expanded Uber partnership complements Pony.ai's growth strategy of entering new markets with fleet deployments at regional scale.
“This expanded agreement marks an important new phase in the partnership between Pony.ai and Uber. It reflects our shared commitment to bringing safe, reliable Robotaxi services to more European cities. By combining Pony.ai's proven autonomous driving technology and operational know-how with Uber's global mobility platform and extensive market reach, we aim to build sustained commercial operations ”
“The next chapter for autonomous mobility is about moving from individual launches to repeatable commercial scale. Together with Pony.ai, we're combining advanced autonomous technology with Uber's hybrid platform, on-the-ground experience, and operational excellence, to build a model that can quickly and reliably expand across cities.”
Previously from Pony.ai Inc.
Pony.ai has been laying groundwork for international expansion. In June, it launched a public robotaxi service in Singapore's Punggol area through ComfortDelGro's Zig app, and in July it announced a partnership with JD Auto Service to build a standardized maintenance and spare-parts network for its fleet.
- Pony.ai Partners with JD Auto Service to Build Standardized Maintenance Network for Robotaxis
- Pony.ai and ComfortDelGro Launch Autonomous Ride Booking for Public via Zig App in Singapore
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Pony.ai Inc.'s official releases.
Why this matters
This expansion marks a shift from single-city robotaxi pilots to multi-city commercial deployment. Riders in four new European cities and the Middle East will be able to book driverless trips through Uber, while Pony.ai tests whether its joint-deployment model can scale profitably beyond China.
Terms in This Story
- Robotaxi
- A self-driving taxi that operates without a human driver.
- Level 4 (L4) autonomy
- A level of automated driving where the vehicle can handle all driving tasks under specific conditions without human intervention.
- Joint-deployment model
- A business arrangement in which multiple partners combine technology, platform, and fleet operations to deploy a service.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.